Battle of Noville

The Battle of Noville (15 January 1945) occurred as a part of the Siege of Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge. The town of Noville, on the outskirts of Bastogne, had been captured by the German Wehrmacht on 20 December 1944, and the American troops had been forced back into Bastogne. However, the relief of Bastogne by the US Third Army under General George S. Patton allowed for the US 101st Airborne Division to counterattack against the Germans and recapture the villages outside of Bastogne. The US 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment was sent to take Noville, the last hurdle on the Bastogne-Houffalize highway; once secured, 2nd Battalion could consolidate its positions and gear up for its push into Germany. The Americans believed that the town was lightly defended, but their reports were inaccurate due to poor weather; they had to fight hard to secure the town, and they were ordered to protect the town from German troops retreating from the Battle of Foy. They faced the understrength remainder of the 76th Volksgrenadier Division and elements of the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich (including Panzer IVs, halftracks, and Tiger I tanks), and their advance was supported by elements of the US 11th Armored Division. 1st squad was sent to secure the main road up to the chateau, 2nd squad was sent to take the west side of the town, and 3rd squad would take the east side, and all squads were ordered to meet at the chateau to secure the perimeter. The fighting for Noville was fierce, as the Americans were surprised by how many Germans were in the town. The American paratroopers cleared the town of German troops in house-to-house fighting, and they linked up at the chateau, where they were attacked by dozens of German tanks and German infantry. The American paratroopers heroically held the house until US Air Force warplanes bombed the German armor, destroying the German tanks and forcing the infantry to retreat. The Battle of Noville ended in a US victory, and the Americans liberated another suburb of Bastogne.